Delegates to the ongoing 8th Congress of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations have chosen Trang An Ecotourism Complex in Ninh Binh Province as one of their stops in Vietnam.
This is a good opportunity for Vietnam to introduce, popularise this complex and gain more support from world UNESCO’s members for its recognition as a new World’s Natural Heritage.
“In-land Halong Bay”, or the Trang An Ecotourism Site, covers 2,168 hectares and is surrounded by limestone range of mountains, lakes and caverns.
The complex includes 48 caverns with unique red stalactites, linking with each other by lagoons. It also possesses an unusual collection of fauna and flora species which is a mixture of both terrestrial and aquatic.
It is divided into four different sections, namely Hoa Lu Ancient City Special Reserve, Central Site, Bai Dinh Pagoda Mountain Spiritual-Cultural Site and Trang An Eco-tourism Site.
Traces of prehistoric man, dating back from 5,000 to 30,000 years have been found in Bui and Trong Caves.
1,000 years ago, Bai Dinh Pagoda Mountain Spiritual-Cultural Site was a temporary city of the Dinh Dynasty, while the then capital, Hoa Lu, was under construction. Under the Ly Dynasty, Nguyen Minh Khong, known as the teacher of the Prince, had built a pagoda there to practice Buddhism and to offer medicines to local people.
It is believed that this place is one of centers of Buddhism and Taoism in the entire country.
Source: DVO
Translated by Mai Huong